Ls 18. Gerunds
Lesson 18. Gerunds
Gerunds, like infinitives, look like verbs, but they actually function as nouns. Consider the following sentences:
- I like going to the beach. ("like" is the verb; "going" is the gerund)
- Playing volleyball at the beach is fun ("Playing" is the gerund and functions as the subject)
- I like eating cold pizza Gerunds are often confused with verbs. Because gerunds take an "ing" ending, some students mistake them for verbs in the continuous form. If you don't see the verb "be" in front of a word with an "ing" ending. It's probably a gerund. For example, which sentence has a gerunds?
- He thinks that learning English is important for his career
- This morning, they're meeting their friends at the airport Examples:
- I like listening to the radio
- He likes eating popcorn when he goes to see a movie
- Playing in the snow is one of life's greatest pleasures
- Drinking coffee in the morning is one of my favorite things to do
- He finds playing the guitar to be relaxing
One more thing: Don't confuse gerunds with the present continuous tense!